# Link Purpose: Write Link Text That Makes Sense

Source: https://allyway.ai/glossary/link-purpose

Link purpose is what a link does or where it leads. Under WCAG 2.4.4, users must be able to tell it from the link text alone or together with its programmatically determined context, such as the surrounding sentence.

Link purpose is the answer to "Where does this link take me?" A visitor who sees "Read more" under a blog teaser knows from the layout which article it belongs to. A [screen reader](https://allyway.ai/glossary/screen-reader) user who pulls up a list of all links on the page hears "Read more, Read more, Read more" – and cannot tell them apart. Clear link text fixes that for everyone.

## What it means

[WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/link-purpose-in-context.html) (Level A, [WCAG 2.2](https://allyway.ai/regulations/wcag-2-2)) requires that the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context. W3C counts as context the text in the same sentence, paragraph, list item or table cell, or the table header that belongs to the cell.

There is one exception: links whose purpose is ambiguous to users in general – when even a sighted visitor cannot know before clicking what the link does.

| Link | Verdict |
|---|---|
| `Download the 2026 price list (PDF, 2 MB)` | Clear on its own |
| `Read more` inside the paragraph about the article | Passes 2.4.4 through context (technique H78) – but weak in a link list |
| `Click here` in a sentence that does not say where | Fails – the context is missing (failure F63) |
| Image link whose image has no alt text | Fails – no name at all (failure F89), an [empty link](https://allyway.ai/glossary/empty-link) |

> **Tip:** > **Write for the link list**
> W3C recommends that link text identify the purpose on its own whenever possible, because many people browse links out of context. The stricter criterion 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), Level AAA, makes that a requirement.

Links to the same destination should use the same text, and links to different destinations different text – otherwise you get confusing duplicates such as a [redundant link](https://allyway.ai/glossary/redundant-link).

## Examples

```html title="Example"
<!-- Good: the link text says it all -->
<a href="/returns">Return policy</a>

<!-- Passes through context, but weak in a link list -->
<p>Our garden chairs are made of FSC teak. <a href="/teak">Read more</a></p>

<!-- Better: add hidden context for screen readers -->
<a href="/teak">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about teak garden chairs</span></a>

<!-- Bad: no purpose anywhere -->
<p>For our terms, <a href="/terms">click here</a>.</p>
```

**Do:** Do

Put the destination into the link words ("Return policy", "Contact support"). Mention file type and size for downloads. For repeated teaser links, add the topic as visually hidden text so the [accessible name](https://allyway.ai/glossary/accessible-name) is unique.

**Don't:** Don't

Use "click here", "more" or "this link" as the only text, link bare URLs in running text, give an icon-only link no name, or set an aria-label that contradicts the visible words.

## How to check link purpose



## Questions

Q: Is "Read more" allowed under WCAG?
A: At Level A, yes, if the surrounding sentence or list item makes the purpose clear. It is still hard to use in a list of links, so adding hidden context or more specific words is the better choice.

Q: What is the difference between 2.4.4 and 2.4.9?
A: 2.4.4 (Level A) allows the purpose to come from the link text plus its context. 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), Level AAA, requires the link text alone to identify the purpose.

Q: Do link texts matter for SEO?
A: Search engines use link text to understand the page a link points to. Descriptive anchors such as "return policy" therefore help both screen reader users and search engines, while "click here" helps neither.

Q: Should I open links in a new tab and say so?
A: Opening a new tab is not required by 2.4.4. If a link does open a new window, telling users in the link text ("opens in a new tab") avoids surprise, especially for screen reader users.

Q: Can allyWay fix link purpose automatically?
A: Yes. allyWay finds unnamed links on every page and gives them clear names that screen readers can read aloud, written by AI from your page content. The [automatic accessibility fixes](https://allyway.ai/automatic-accessibility-fixes-for-website) are applied by the allyWay script, so your CMS, theme and files stay as they are – and every fix is logged. [Start for free](https://app.allyway.ai/register) and see which links allyWay names on your site.